Last week, Lena Geller wrote about Raleigh chef Scott Crawford’s new restaurant in Clayton, just a hop across county lines in Johnston County. Our readers on Facebook had thoughts about Crawford, Cookshop, Clayton, and, wouldn’t you know it, Chick-fil-A, which Clayton has been trying to recruit for years. We’d argue that Crawford did them one better. Here’s what some had to say about the Clayton culinary scene.

“Excited to be dining at the Cookshop tonight for the first time,” wrote Facebook commenter JIM NAPIER. “Nice to have another fine restaurant within walking distance. Hopefully Clayton will get the Chick-fil-A one day, if for no other reason people will quit talking about how bad they want one!”

“This is much better than a chick fil a,” wrote commenter CLAIRE REID. “That stuff’ll kill ya.”

“Just left [Cookshop] and the food was out- standing,” wrote commenter ALICIA RENEE WALLACE. “Amazing addition to Clayton.”

“Clayton is a great town and thanks Scott Crawford for bringing your passion and culinary skills,” wrote commenter BILL CLAYTON.

For the web this week, Sarah Edwards wrote about Saint James in Durham reopening following the gas explosion in Brightleaf Square in 2018, and then, of course, having to reopen again in the wake of the pandemic. Readers are glad for it.

“So excited for reopening!” wrote Facebook commenter CHARLENE MONTOYA. “Last dinner there was at the beginning of COVID (3/14/2020) for my husband’s birthday. Wonderful food. Can’t wait to go back!”

“HURRAH!!! Really loved this place and so glad to see it will be coming back,” wrote commenter RENEE STRNAD.

Finally, again for the web, Sarah wrote about Giorgios Bakatsias opening two new restaurants in Raleigh’s North Hills, bringing his total number of operations to 14.

“This guy is a restaurant machine!” wrote BLAKE TEDDER on Twitter. “And most of them are great.” Get boosted, folks, and show some love to your favorite reopening restaurants—and the newcomers, too—in 2022.

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